The Starwalker is an experimental vessel equipped with a star-stepping drive. She's brand new, the paint is still wet, and she's working out the kinks in her new skin. She has a lot to learn, and what the hell is this engine of hers anyway?

FTL (Faster Than Light)A mode of travel whereby a ship can exceed the speed of light. Requires careful balancing of the inertial dampeners to avoid the forces tearing the ship and its contents apart. FTL ‘jumps’ are straight-line travel only and limited to a few minutes in duration. It usually takes several jumps to travel between systems.

FTL Corridor
A safe FTL route, heavily used by trade ships between colonies. FTL jumps outside of a corridor are rarely attempted due to the safety issues involved.

Inertial Dampeners (IDs)
A system that buffers a ship against inertial forces when travelling. A dampening bubble around the ship protects the contents from changes in momentum, allowing acceleration, deceleration and directional changes that would normally liquefy the crew.

JudiciaryThe inter-colonial law system, based on the JOP. The laws are internationally-agreed and cover all of the colonies, but not Earth itself.

Justiciars
Law enforcement officers for the Judiciary. They have cultivated a terrifying and unwavering reputation, and are never seen without helmets.

SecOff
Shortened version of Security Officer, referring to a member of the security personnel.

Star Step (Stepping)
The mode of transport the Starwalker was built to test. It involves creating a gravity disturbance next to a star to create a portal, which is used to traverse outside of space and time. Another portal is created at another star, from the outside, to move back into normal space.